Plot: Remember the twin golden rules of hitchhiking? #1: Don’t go hitchhiking, because the driver who picks you up could be certifiably crazy. #2: Don’t pick up hitchhikers, because the traveler you pick up could be certifiably crazy. So what if, on some dark, isolated road, Crazy #1 offered a ride to Crazy #2? This is the first in the terrifying trilogy of novellas including KILLERS and BIRDS OF PREY by Crouch and Kilborn. This review is for the Uncut & Extended version.

My Review: The official plot description posted here honestly isn’t the best one. It leads you to believe, or at least it lead me to believe, that this book would be one story involving two serial killers in some sort of cat and mouse chase/game. That is not what this book is about, not even close. It is however the tale of a few different serial killers who somehow become involved with one another, and the stories intertwine.

The first story consists of what is described in the plot description. One serial killer picks up another one, but
they realize they have killing in common, compare notes, and kill together. This is the set up for the rest of the book, each of the 3 stories are roughly the same concept. Only in the end of this book, you find out that those who survive actually are characters that go onto other series’ of the authors. A few characters from existing books of the authors make appearances as well, but I didn’t read those books first, and I don’t think it really matters.

I thought it was really cool that there were two authors to this story, it flowed so well, and quite frankly by the time I got around to reading the book I completely forgot there were two authors writing different parts to the book. At the end of the kindle copy there is an interview with the two authors detailing how they went about writing it through Email.

My two issues with the story/plot. The first was, I found that the probability of all these serial killers running into each other and then killing together was far fetched. Not that I would know but it just seemed like it would be. And the second issue was that there was this big warning before reading it trying to spook the reader, and honestly, it wasn’t that spooky. Yes, there were a few gory parts nothing crazy…maybe I’m just becoming desensitized by these sorts gory stories and its more so the psychological stuff that spooks me now.

There were two parts to this book that I really enjoyed. One was that there was a part where two serial killers get there hands on a female cop, and things turn out differently then they expected. The other part I liked was I believe the closing story, where again one killer is driving and a different killer hitchhiking and they meet and of course try to kill one another. It ended in a very unexpected way. But I thought it was awesome.

I cannot compare this to the original released “Serial”. From what I gather it was MUCH shorter, and less brutal, and if you want to read this for the horror aspect you should go with the uncut version.

Overall: I enjoyed this book a lot, I would have liked it a bit longer, but I guess that is what the sequels are for. I could have done without the warning in the beginning, because with it I expected something much more brutal. But I’d definitely recommend it, and I have plans on reading the authors sequels and other books.

My Rating: